​When it comes to innovative brands, few have made the impact that The Genius Brand has.

These guys are mainly known for their nootropic supplements, but they have hit another home run with their excellent Genius Protein Powder.

To say we are impressed with this product is an understatement.

Why is that?

One look at the label and you will see a label that takes transparency very seriously!

There’s a complete breakdown by grams of both kinds of protein - and it’s low in fat (less than 1 gram).

Did we mention its all natural?

Speaking of protein, Genius gives you 24 total grams per serving and that’s 13.5 grams of fast digesting whey and 13.5 grams of casein.

Isn’t it nice to know how much you’re getting?

Not to mention, since Genius Protein is a complex of fast digesting whey isolate and slower digesting micellar casein protein, it’s a great low fat, low sugar choice for those of us that lead a busy lifestyle and may not have time for a meal or a shake, because you will be reaping the benefits of this shake for hours!

That’s especially important if you’ve just worked out, but only have time for a shake.

​Transparent Labs doesn't only have a zero fat protein powder here, but it's also zero carb.

Very few protein powders are able to manage zero carbs and zero fats, while delivering decent flavors.

But TL's Grass-Fed Whey Isolate is actually not bad even though they do not use any sweeteners or artificial coloring of any sorts​.

They only use stevia for flavoring and it might take a little while to get used to the flavor if you're used to all of the artificial flavorings that are stuffed in protein powders these days but is well worth it if you're looking to stay as healthy as possible. ​

​If you're a fan of ice cream and protein then you'll love this newly released version of Syntha-6.

It is not only ice cream flavored but BSNpartnered up with the one of the most popular ice cream companies ever, Cold Stone Creamery.

The 2 companies worked together to create this protein powder, that isn't really made for those who are trying to keep their macros clean but for those who enjoy ice cream but want it in a protein powder.

This special edition protein powder comes in 3 flavors but with more on the way:

​Birthday Cake Swirl

​Mint mint Chocolate Chocolate

​Germanchokolatekake

​With creative names like those, you know there's nothing like it in the protein category.

While this is isn't suppose to be a protein for those looking for clean macros, it is made to satisify taste buds while delivering a nice source of protein.

There are still more flavors to come as BSN said this is just the beginning!

Best Low Carb / Low Fat Whey Isolates

​Kaged Muscle is a relatively new brand that has made quite a name for themselves with very high quality products that feature clinically supported ingredients that are effectively dosed and fully disclosed on the label.

This approach has established Kaged Muscle as one of the premier brands in the industry.

This approach is especially apparent in their newest protein - Micorpure Whey Isolate.

We’re talking about 25 grams of 100% pure whey isolate with less than 1 gram of sugar, just 2 total grams of carbs and less than 1 gram of fat.

​One of the most exciting advancements in sport nutrition is a innovative new ingredient called Velositol, which has been shown to literally double protein synthesis! Exciting stuff!

One of the first proteins to use it is Ultimate Whey Isolate by BN Labs, which contains a whopping 27 grams of whey isolate per serving that includes 7 grams of BCAAs with zero sugar, just 1 gram of carbs and zero grams of fat - wow!

The only drawbacks are the use of artificial flavoring, the use of sucralose and the unreasonably high sodium content - as in 380 grams.

However, this protein has so many good things about it - the lack of fat, sugar and very low carb total, not to mention the fact it’s 100% whey isolate protein.

The other good thing about this protein is Velositol, which works to double protein synthesis by stimulating insulin release without changing levels of blood glucose - crazy!

It just keeps getting better because the whey isolate BN Labs is using is BiPro whey isolate, which is as pure as it gets.

​As you've probably noticed by now, ISO-100 is all over this page as it's way ahead in terms of flavoring, macros and ingredients.

Every 30g scoop holds 25g protein, 1g carb, and half a gram of fats.

You'd think this would taste pretty awful for something that barely has fats or carbs but it's actually delicious.

ISO-100 is popular for these flavors: Gourmet Berry, Vanilla and Pina Colada.

While it is mostly naturally sweetened, Dymatize's protein is mainly made out of hydrolyzed whey isolate and whey protein isolate so you know you are getting the fastest absorbable protein source available.

The flavoring is a bit sweet but you'll enjoy it if you're dieting or simply enjoy sweet flavors.

​MAN Sports has exploded in recent years and become known as one of the best brands out there, In fact, their protein especially has rivaled the established top dogs for quality and it’s not hard to see why - this is one of the cleanest proteins we have seen with 25 grams of whey isolate, zero sugar, very low fat and just 3 grams of carbs - not to mention label transparency that reminds us of NutraBio.

What really sets Iso Protein apart is the flavors! Are you ready for this?

We’ve been hearing terms like “ nothing else comes close” and “it’s out of this world” - needless to say, this is a great tasting protein that’s not afraid to break the mold a little when it comes to flavors.

By all means, give Iso-Protein a try - buy it for the quality, the fully transparent labels - and for the incredible flavors!

​NutraBio is a company that turned a lot of heads with their extreme full label transparency - and their 100% Whey Protein Isolate label is another great example of this.

When you buy a NutraBio product, you know you’re buying one of the very best products available.

So, that said, how does 100% Whey measure up? One serving gives you a solid 25 grams of protein, zero sugar, low total carbs and low fat.

You can bet they give you the gram totals of their flavoring as well - and it’s the flavors that this list is all about!

They have several great tasting flavors, everything from basic vanilla to cookies and cream to dutch chocolate with users reporting this flavor in particular as one of the best with a deliciously rich chocolate flavor.

Another favorite is chocolate peanut butter - who doesn’t love a great combo like that!

The great thing is, you can see exactly what goes into a flavor thanks to their dedication to complete label transparency.

For example, the dutch chocolate is incredible, but what goes into it?

How about this: “Natural Chocolate Flavor 650 mg, Natural Cocoa 500 mg, Xanthan Gum 350 mg, Salt 110 mg, Sucralose 65 mg” taken right from their label - the only drawback here is that they do use sucralose, but at least you can clearly see how much.

Overall, this is a high quality protein that’s made right and labeled right, plus it tastes great!

​If you want something that has more protein per serving than anything else but want to stay healthy with natural sweeteners and absolutely zero carbs / fats, then you've got it with TL's Grass-Fed Whey Isolate.

Using only stevia for flavoring, Transparent Labs manages to maintain a great flavor and texture for their protein powder.

Most people would imagine anything this natural would be out of the question but it is well worth it as it contains more protein per serving than most protein powders. ​

​Muscletech has been around seemingly forever and they have been at the forefront of the sports nutrition market for years.

Some of their products tend to get a little carried away with underdosed ingredients and lots of hype - sometimes a little too much hype.

That’s not the case with their Platinum Essential Series, which is basically a return to cleaner, simpler formulas and more reasonable marketing.

A great example is Platinum 100% Casein which provides 24 grams of micellar casein per serving - the “gold standard” of casein proteins - and this includes 5.2 grams of BCAAs and 4.9 grams of glutamine.

It’s low in both sugar and fat - but does use artificial flavoring and sweeteners.

One of the things that sets this product apart is its focus on micellar casein bioactive fractions and they do play up that aspect in their marketing for this product.

For those that may not know, these bioactive fractions (there are 4 of them) are growth factors shown by clinical studies to improve immune system health and function.

The casein in Platinum 100% Casein is cold-processed, microfiltered for optimal purity and retention of the bioactive fractions found in micellar casein.

This means that when it comes to quality and purity, it’s largely the processing methods used that sets the protein apart from competing products.

In terms of value, it comes in a little on the high side compared to similar products.

Overall, this is a good formula with a good profile that mixes easily and tastes good - making it number 8 on our list!

Pros

thumbs-up

​24 grams of ultra pure micellar casein

thumbs-up

​Low sugar and fat

thumbs-up

​Contains 4 casein bioactive fractions

thumbs-up

​Good mixability and taste

Cons

thumbs-down

​A little expensive

thumbs-down

​They use artificial flavors and sweeteners in an otherwise clean formula

Despite being a retail chain store standard, Six Star does have some solid formulas.

That’s the case with their Casein Protein.

This protein provides 24 grams of milk isolate and micellar casein which includes 4.9 grams of BCAAs.

This creates a unique protein complex that creates a time-release effect because milk isolate is approximately 80% casein and 20% whey, so you have the fast digesting whey protein combined with 2 types of casein for extended digestion, which means you’ll get the benefits for hours (micellar, for example, can take up to 7 hours to digest).

Casein Protein is a little high in carbs (9!) yet has zero sugar and only half a gram of fat, but it does use artificial flavoring and 2 artificial sweeteners.

There is one discrepancy with the protein content, while the Six Star website claims 24 grams, the product label claims 20 grams - so which one is it guys?

Of course, being a chain store protein, it’s a good value with 26 servings and priced at the low end to compete with the other chain store proteins on the shelf.

This is a decent choice if you’re low on cash, but let’s be real, if money is not a big issue, why shop at a discount store when you can get better proteins somewhere else?

Pros

thumbs-up

​Good combination of casein proteins for fast and slow digestion

thumbs-up

​Low fat and zero sugar

thumbs-up

​Great value - think “big retail chain store”

Cons

thumbs-down

​Six Star can’t decide how much protein is in this product! The label says one thing but the website says another.

​Protein Bars

​4. MyBar by Pro Supps

​ProSupps made a huge splash when they came out with their original MyBar a couple of years ago.

Here was a bar that tasted amazing, in fact many felt it was the best tasting bar on the market, period!

Now they’re coming out with an even better version, MyBar Pro, that’s bigger and better than than the original.

This is another bar that’s more about taste and texture and less about a clean macro profile.

It’s 340 calories, with a big 30 grams of whey concentrate and whey isolate (that’s reversed from MyBar), but that’s offset by 13 grams of fat, 33 grams of carbs (but just 4 grams of sugar) and 370 mg of sodium.

There are competing bars that have a macro profile that’s worse than this - but not by much.

MyBar Pro is another off-season kind of bar, with a formula that’s far from the trend of clean formulas that many bars have taken.

It’s not the best value as its priced at the higher end, but it’s a great tasting bar with an excellent texture, so as with several of the other bars on this list, if that's what you want in a bar, here’s one of the best choices on the market.

Pros

thumbs-up

​30 grams of whey protein per bar

thumbs-up

​One of the best tasting bars available

thumbs-up

​Excellent texture

thumbs-up

​Just 4 grams of sugar

Cons

thumbs-down

​The whey protein complex is reversed, with lower quality concentrate as the first ingredient

thumbs-down

​This is a clean bar by any means - so it’s high in carbs, fat and sodium